I love that my jeans appear to be crooked 

One a week ago today, I followed in the footsteps of this quote.

“Today, I close the door to the past. Open a door to the future. Take a deep breath, step through, and start a new chapter in my life.”

I am sure you’re wondering “How does it feel? What is it like?” Most people have already asked!

I will be very honest with you…I am not sure it feels much different. At least, NOT YET! I am still always on the go; I am barely home; don’t think I’ve had much rest. But thankfully, all this feels great. That drive. That passion. That energy. It’s back and on fire again! I am thoroughly enjoying everything I do – sleeping in, going to the gym, meeting friends for coffee, binge-watching The Haunting at Hill House (’tis the Halloween season) and planning my next adventures.

The options are limitless!

For those who don’t know, I recently closed a long and rewarding chapter of my life. I question if it may have been my longest relationship, since my relationship with food doesn’t count, right? 🙂 HAHA. Either way, it was a bittersweet decision that was absolutely terrifying…but at the same time, extremely exhilarating!

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and learned so much. About myself. About others. About communication and relationships. About appreciation and respect. I gained a different perspective of life and how valuable it is – in a way only people read about or see in movies. I acquired a whole, new knowledge base and an even-broader “family” tree. I walk away a very, very lucky young woman, who got to experience a lot and got to know so many people in a six year time-frame.

2,191 days! 6 years is a long time!

And this time doesn’t include my internship…

My official journey started when a consultant asked me “Are you ready for 150 new aunts and uncles?” At the time, I had NO idea what he was talking about. But fast forward to the present, I fully appreciate and embrace the question…and what came with it. My boss and every one of my consultants became part of my extended family and I mean that with all my heart.

As hard as it was to walk away, I now realize that change is inevitable and sometimes good. I also realize that I can’t erase the experiences I have gained. I can hold onto all those memories and relationships I’ve built FOREVER. I can take all the skills I’ve learned and use them to my advantage in my next career path. And I can pass along all the stories I heard and say “I am proud to call them family”.

My world has been forever changed for the positive!

While I could go on and on about my last six years, I know y’all have things to do. So, to keep this short, I will share a couple lines of an email I wrote to my consultants (and boss) to express my gratitude, appreciation, and absolute LOVE I have for them – and always will have.

“There is no doubt in my mind that you [consultants] are the reason I have stayed in this journey for so long. My daily interaction with you has brought me pure joy, lots of laughter, and even the occasional tear…Your dedication, hard work and commitment to finding missing children and giving names back to those who are unidentified are magnificent. I admire your experience, your compassion and your positive representation. You are an inspiration to me…and a role model, as I hopefully venture into “your” world very soon!”

Stayed tuned for my upcoming posts, because as one door closes, another ALWAYS opens! Find out what is next for me – career and adventure wise! 🙂